1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a swash-plate-type compressor, preferably adapted for use in automobile air-conditioning systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,921 of Kimio Kato et al discloses a typical swash-plate-type refrigerant-gas compressor for use in automobile air-conditioning systems. The conventional compressor has a pair of axially aligned and combined cylinder blocks in which a multi-cylinder compressing system operated by a single rotary swash plate is contained. The combined cylinder blocks are held between front and rear housings in which suction and discharge chambers are arranged.
Refrigerant gas returning from the air-conditioning system is sucked into and compressed by the compressor due to the reciprocating motion of pistons in the cylinder bores of the combined cylinder block. That is, the returning gas is initially sucked from a suction pipe into isometric inlet passageways of a suction flange. The refrigerant gas is then introduced via suction ports of the cylinder blocks into a swash-plate chamber. Subsequently, the refrigerant gas is passed through suction passageways communicated with the swash-plate chamber until it reaches the suction chambers of the front and rear housings. The refrigerant gas in the suction chambers is then sucked into the cylinder bores so as to undergo compression by the pistons.
During the above-mentioned sucking of the refrigerant gas, the pulsation in the suction pressure due to the reciprocating motion of the pistons is damped when the refrigerant gas is let into the swash-plate chamber and the suction chambers, both of which have rather large volumes, from the preceding narrow passageways.
The refrigerant gas, when compressed, is discharged from the cylinder bores into the discharge chambers. The compressed refrigerant gas is then passed through discharge passageways and ports of the combined cylinder blocks. Subsequently, the compressed refrigerant gas is passed through the passageways of a discharge flange, which are isometric with the above-mentioned discharge ports, and is further sent via a discharge pipe into the air-conditioning system.
The pulsation in the discharge pressure due to the reciprocating motion of the pistons is damped in the discharge chambers. However, more complete damping of the pulsation in the suction and discharge pressures is desired in order to prevent noise.